Favors (Percico AU)

Chapter 16

Chapter 16 (Nico's POV)

I changed out of my sweaty clothes. We lost to The Black Panthers, but it was a close game. Only two points behind. "Good game," Percy said, sitting on the bench by my locker. "Yeah I guess. We can't win every time." Percy smiled and glanced down at his phone. He was checking his text messages.

I sat beside him to wait for the bell to ring. "I would like for us to move on today in our swimming lesson," Percy said suddenly. "I'm trying. I'm just not good at it." He turned his phone off and laid it on his thigh. "You are good at it. It just takes practice. All I'm saying is that you have to try harder today."

I waited a moment, then nodded. "Okay." I looked around the locker room, only to meet the glaring eyes of Clayton Fox. His facial expression portrayed a look of pure hatred. I glared back. In no way was I intimidated by him. If he'd dared to do anything, I would have knocked the teeth out of his mouth.

The bell finally rung and he slipped out the door with his friends in tow. Percy stood and slipped his phone in his back pocket. "What do you have next?" Percy asked as we walked down the hallway. "English." He huffed out a laugh, "hope you pass the pop quiz." I groaned, "a pop quiz? On what?"

"All the books we've read so far in the past two months." I sighed and walked through the cloud of students to get to my locker. "I'll see ya later," Percy said and disappeared down the hall.

...

At lunch, Jake sat with us instead of Percy. He could have sat with us too, but I figured since we would be spending the rest of the day together, it wasn't a big deal. Besides, I wanted to get some revenge on Will and didn't want Percy to see how mean I could be.

Will turned completely red once I told the story how he fell in the park and got a rock stuck up his nose. The fire department had to come and help him blow it out. Jake couldn't help but laugh. "It could happen to anybody!" Will protested, which only made us laugh more. Jake wiped a tear from the corner of his eye, "I'm sorry Will. But that is funny." Will glared at me from across the table.

I just shrugged, he had it coming.

...

Will wasn't talking to me as he drove to my house. He just glared at the road through the windshield. "Oh come on Will. You did it to me." He sighed, "I know, but that's different." I rolled my eyes, "Get over it, you big baby." His frown deepened, "I'm not a baby."

"Then stop acting like one." He sighed again and pulled into my driveway. "Fine, we're even. Truce?" He stuck his hand out, and I took it, "truce."

Will leaned back in his seat, "well, see ya tomorrow, Asshole." I glared at him before getting out of the car. I was surprised to see my dad's car in the driveway. "Dad?" I called once I got in the door.

"In here" he answered from the living room. I sat beside him with caution. I wanted to know why he was home from work early. "How was school?" he asked and turned down the TV. "Fine, I guess. Nothing new happened." He nodded and leaned his head back into the couch with his eyes closed.

He worked a lot. So when he got the chance to relax he took full advantage of it. "You're home early," I said slowly, trying to get him to talk. He exhaled through his nose and opened his eyes, "yeah, about that. I have to go away for a few days. There's been another murder in Tyler Texas. They're expecting a serial killer. I should be back by Monday."

I slumped back into the couch. Another business trip. "So, I was thinking after your lesson, we three can go out for a family dinner like we always do."

Every time my dad went on a trip, he would come home early the day before and take Hazel and me out for some family time. I appreciated those moments since I knew I would miss him like crazy. "Go ahead and do your homework now so you don't have to worry about it later."